FPL Daily News Reel: May 3, 2012

The FPL News Reel is a daily round-up of the top faith and politics stories in the news. You can sign up for the email version of the News Reel here, subscribe to the RSS feed here, and follow it on twitter at @FPLNewsreel.

Defense trumps poverty in Republican HouseBy David Rogers — Politico
…here come the House Republicans, marching into the sunlight by shifting billions from poverty programs to the Pentagon, all within hours of adopting an entirely new round of tax cuts for those earning more than $1 million a year.

The Catholic vote is the 2012 bellwetherBy Chris Cillizza and Rachel Weiner — Washington Post, The Fix
…new polling from Gallup suggests that it’s Catholics who could well be the best bellwether of whether President Obama or former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will be elected president this November.

Dolan and Bishops Urge Albany to Raise Minimum WageBy Thomas Kaplan — New York Times
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and New York State’s bishops are calling on the Legislature to increase the minimum wage, adding an influential source of support to a proposal that has divided lawmakers along party lines.

Father Tom Reese vs. Paul Ryan (and Stephen Colbert)By E.J. Dionne Jr. — Washington Post, Opinion
I signed the letter not only because — this won’t surprise readers of my column — I agreed with its criticism of Ryan’s approach to budget issues but also because the letter welcomed Ryan to Georgetown. All universities, including Catholic universities, should be open to a wide range of views, and I’m glad Ryan came last week.

The Lower FloorBy Linda Greenhouse — New Yok Times, Opinionator
Poring over the argument transcript and the briefs, what finally came through as most deeply troubling was this: the failure of any participant in the argument, justice or advocate for either side, to affirm the simple humanity of Arizona’s several hundred thousand undocumented residents.